Politics

Harris Claims Medicare for All Would Not Eliminate Private Insurance

Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) claimed Sunday that her support for Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-VT) Medicare for All bill does not mean that she wants to eliminate private health insurance, despite that Sanders’ bill would eliminate the industry entirely.

On Sunday on CNN, Harris claimed that her support for Medicare for All does not mean she would eliminate the entire private health insurance industry, even though she has endorsed Sanders’ Medicare for All legislation, which would eliminate private insurance except for cosmetic and minor surgeries.

CNN anchor Jake Tapper about Harris’ call to eliminate private health insurance during a town hall in January.

Harris said in January, “You don’t have to go through the process of going through an insurance company, having them give you approval, going through the paperwork, all of the delay that may require. … Let’s eliminate all of that. Let’s move on.”

Less than 24 hours after her controversial remarks, a Harris spokesman said she does not believe in eliminating the private health insurance industry.

When asked by Tapper about her alleged support for eliminating private health insurance, Harris said that she supports Medicare for All and only wants to eliminate the “bureaucracy” and “waste” in the healthcare system.

Harris remarks arises as the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) said recently that transitioning to a Medicare for All healthcare system could be “complicated, challenging,” and challenging and cautioned that lawmakers should consider what could happen to workers who lose their jobs by moving to a single-payer, government-run healthcare system.

Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), the creator of one of the most popular Medicare for All bills, admitted that one million private health insurance workers could get “displaced” under a Medicare for All system.